Board of Directors and Staff

Board of Directors Officers

Jane is Senior Principal of TSD Communications (2001 – present), a Washington, D.C.-based strategic communications consultancy whose clients include Fortune 500 companies, businesses, individuals, non-profit organizations, foundations and campaigns. Jane advises domestic and international clients on corporate social responsibility, strategic communications strategies, public relations and marketing strategies, crisis communications and reputation management. Jane has also served as Board Advisor and management consultant to a number of start-ups and venture-backed businesses in consumer products and retail sectors, advising on brand strategy, social responsibility, business development and product development. A native of Toronto, Canada, she earned a L.L.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School and practiced entertainment and corporate/commercial law until moving to England in 1989 to join The Body Shop International PLC, a global specialty retailer of personal care products and a pioneer of corporate social responsibility and fair trade, where she served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee and as General Counsel and Strategic Development Director. Prior to getting into law, Jane worked in the entertainment industry, managing and producing theatre and television productions in Canada and the U.S.A. Jane is a former trustee of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Company and currently serves on the Board of the New Mexico Children’s Foundation. Jane fell in love with Santa Fe on her first visit in 1995 to establish a fair trade initiative with the Santa Ana Pueblo, and has had a home in Santa Fe for the past 20 years. She is an avid collector of folk art and outsider art.

Recognized as a woman of influence by the New Mexico Business Weekly in 2011, Jennifer Kimball has worn many hats. Kimball received her undergrad and law degrees from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She is licensed in both Texas and New Mexico, and moved to Santa Fe in 1989 after she was beckoned to the Land of Enchantment by family friends and owners of La Fonda on the Plaza, Sam and Ethel Ballen. Kimball practiced real estate law in Texas and New Mexico until 2000, when she accepted the position of president of ECMC Foundation, a national nonprofit organization involved in educational issues throughout the United States. In 2014, Kimball and her brother, Philip Wise, along with a few select investors, purchased La Fonda. Jenny continues to serve as chairman of the board since 2007, and is responsible for all strategic decisions for La Fonda on the Plaza and is furthering La Fonda’s tradition of supporting local artists. In addition to her responsibilities at La Fonda, she is involved with many Santa Fe nonprofits and is a 2012 graduate of Leadership New Mexico. She currently is on the board of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, is on the Santa Fe Botanical Garden board, and serves as a commissioner for the New Mexico Tourism Commission. Kimball previously served on the following boards or committees: Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Santa Fe Community College Foundation (vice president,) Buckaroo Ball (executive committee and auction chairman,) Cornerstones Community Partnerships, Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, the Real Property, Probate and Trust Section of the State Bar of New Mexico (chairman,) and the United Way. Jenny’s husband, Rob, is a practicing attorney in Phoenix and they commute between Santa Fe and Phoenix weekly.

Leigh Ann and her husband, David, have lived in Santa Fe, NM since 1987. She has served on the boards of United World College, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, St. Vincent Hospital Foundation, Buckaroo Ball Committee (Ball Chair, 1997), and the Board of Trustees for Santa Fe Preparatory School for six years (Board Chair, 2007-2010; capital campaign chair, 2003-2006). Formerly an executive with AT&T and Southwestern Bell, she is presently owner of Brown Thomason & Associates, LLC. Leigh Ann holds a B.A. from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She and her husband have two children.

Karen has spent most of her career with financial institutions; Chase Manhattan, U.S. Trust and Bessemer Trust, primarily in the Wealth Management divisions. She took a 10 year digression to be part of the team at Christie’s, the international auction house, when it opened in America.

She has served on the boards of numerous not for profit institutions. In Santa Fe these include the Santa Fe Opera Foundation, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the School of Advanced Research and Performance Santa Fe.

She is a graduate of Radcliffe College, with a degree in Fine Arts, and a degree from the Harvard Business School. Karen has had a home in Santa Fe for 25 years and 10 years ago moved here from New York City.

Kathryn is President of the Jesse T. & Jodie E. King Foundation, a family foundation. The Colemans’ philanthropic involvement includes: Methodist Children’s Home, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Rice University, Scenic Houston, Rothko Chapel, Houston reVision, and KIPP schools. Kathryn is an active volunteer and fundraiser in Houston and her community involvement includes service on the boards of Shepherd School of Music – Rice University, Bering Omega Community Services, Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, Friends of Fondren Library – Rice University, Laity Renewal Foundation, and Wesley Community Center. She owned an interior design firm for 20 years and also has an extensive background in law firm administration with Weil, Gotshal & Manges (Miami, Houston), and Vinson & Elkins (Houston, Dallas). Coleman graduated cum laude from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree, and she holds a Master of Arts degree from Texas A&M University. Kathryn and her husband, Hank, spend summers in Santa Fe and as much time as possible during the rest of the year. They are members of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church (Houston), where Kathryn sings in the Chancel Choir and Hank teaches an adult Sunday School class. They are associate members of the Church of the Holy Faith (Santa Fe), where Kathryn is also a choir member. Hank Coleman is a retired partner with Vinson & Elkins, LLP, Houston, and is now in private practice. The Colemans have four grown children and five grandchildren.

Keith is President and co-founder of HAND/EYE Fund (2010 – present), which publishes handeyemagazine.com, offers assistance to artisans through a small grants program, and teams with ByHand Consulting in the creation of opportunities for artisans such as the Market incubator program at NY Now. HAND/EYE Fund’s 2010 “Million Hearts for Haiti” booth at the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe raised many thousands of dollars to assist Haitian artisans. He was the Executive Director of Aid to Artisans (2000-02), where he supervised operations of the $4.5 million international nonprofit agency, which grew to $8 million. He also served on the Aid to Artisans Board of Directors for several years. He currently consults in trend and color forecasting for Pantone and London-based WGSN and has a highly specialized color consulting practice called Chromosapien. His background is in the design industry, where he has been the Director of Product Development at Granet and Associates, VP of Home Furnishings at Bloomingdale’s Direct, VP/General Merchandise Manager at Gump’s by Mail, and the Director of Folio Home at Saks Fifth Avenue, amongst other endeavors. Keith’s graduate study was in American literature at the University of Michigan, and he holds a B.S. cum laude from Carnegie-Mellon University. Keith is a collector of global textiles and contemporary art, has traveled extensively in many of the home countries of Market artists, and is conversant in Italian and French.

Suzanne has been active in a variety of art organizations in Texas and New Mexico for more than 40 years. She has served 9 years on the Board of Directors for the International Folk Art Alliance, where she was secretary for 2 years. She has been on the IFAA Advisory Board and is returning as an active IFAA board member this year. Suzanne is currently on the Advisory Board of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and a charter member of the Texas Women for the Arts. Suzanne has served on the Board of Directors of the Taos Art Museum and City of San Angelo Public Arts Commission. She has served as Trustee Chairman of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council, the Texas Association of Museums Trustees, and Texans for the Arts, as well as working with numerous civic organizations. She attended Christies’ Decorative Arts Summer School in New York City and participated in many national conferences of the Museum Trustee Association, International Majolica Society, and New York Silver Society. Suzanne has designed day and evening handbags, clothing, jewelry, and home interiors using antique and ethnic components. She and her husband, Joel, split their time between San Angelo, Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. They are collectors of Gorham Martele silver, antique and ethnic textiles, Tlaquepaque pottery, majolica pottery, American illustrators, and other New Mexico and California artists.

Courtney Finch Taylor is retired from a long career as a Marketing Executive at American Express. A graduate of Wellesley College with an MBA from NYU, she resides in New York City with her husband, Scott, as well as in Santa Fe. Courtney actively supports the arts in New York City, serving on the Officers Committee of the Contemporary Arts Council at the Museum of Modern Art, the Producers Council at the New Museum, the Global Council at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and as a member of the Stieglitz Society and Modern Circle at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In Santa Fe, Courtney serves on the Board of SITE Santa Fe as a member of the Executive Committee, and is a Trustee of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. She formerly served on the Board of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, CO. Courtney and Scott are long-time supporters of the International Folk Art Alliance.

Stuart Ashman, is a cultural ambassador who has worked in the arts for over 30 years. He was raised in Matanzas and Havana, Cuba before his family relocated to New York where he attended the City University of New York receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography and Fine Art. His additional studies include graduate work at the Rochester Institute of Technology and personal interactions on his photography with Minor White and Paul Caponigro. He was also selected to participate in the Getty’s Museum Leadership Institute.

He served as Executive Director & Chief Curator of the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His previous experience includes postings as President and CEO of the Museum of Latin American Art; Director of the New Mexico Museum of Art; Executive Director of the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art; and an appointment by the Governor as Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. He also served as Expert Consultant for the United States Peace Corps, and serves as Vice-Chair of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. He has published numerous articles and exhibition catalogues and co-authored “Photography New Mexico” in 2009,“Abstract Art” in 2003 and “Harlistas Cubanos” in 2006.

Board of Directors

Lisa Adelman is a partner with the law firm of Sommer, Udall, Hardwick & Jones, P.A. in Santa Fe. Her practice focuses on real estate and business matters. A native of San Antonio, Texas, she earned her law degree at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and practiced law in Austin and San Antonio in the area of public finance for many years. Lisa moved to Santa Fe in 2012. She is an avid traveler and hiker. Lisa’s appreciation for IFAM began as a volunteer at the annual market.

Jodi Aeling is a founding partner in Thomas Gifford Architect and plays a critical role in the successful operation serving as Chief Administration Officer and Interior Design Director. As CAO, she is responsible for the administrative performance of all TGA projects and plays a key role in marketing and business development. As IDD, she makes all material, color, finish and furniture selections for the firm’s projects and works closely with the team on all aspects of cultural, commercial and residential project designs.

Jodi has a Bachelor of Fine Art from Otis Parsons, Los Angeles and Master of Fine Art from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Before moving to Santa Fe in 1994 she worked in Museum Registration at The Art Institute of Chicago and lived in Paris. Her passion for art is pervasive in all aspects of her life: she enjoys painting, sculpture and creating her own textile collages; hiking and dancing; encouraging and supporting other artists.

Amanda Alexander is a Santa Fe native whose passion for travel, story-telling, and artisan product began at a young age. She is the Creative Director at Peyote Bird Designs, a Santa Fe based wholesale jewelry company specializing in Native & American Artisan Jewelry. She has lived & taught in Costa Rica, Columbia, and Italy. Today, Alexander works with artisan workshops in Bali & Thailand to produce timeless jewelry design with a focus on traditional cultural techniques & high quality materials. She serves as lead buyer at Peyote Bird Designs, where she fosters business relationships & trend driven development with artisans from around the world, particularly members of the Santo Domingo & Navajo tribes of the American Southwest. Alexander is a graduate of the University of Denver, class of 2013, and previously served on the Vistage Executive Committee of NM. She lives with her fiancé and her dog Blue in Santa Fe, NM.

For more than 30 years, Catherine A. Allen has been an outstanding thought leader in business innovation, technology strategy, and financial services.

Today, Catherine is Chairman and CEO of The Santa Fe Group, a strategic advisory services company based in Santa Fe, NM. The Santa Fe Group specializes in briefings to C-level executives and boards of directors at financial institutions and other critical infrastructure companies in the areas of cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and risk management. The Santa Fe Group provides management for strategic industry and institutional projects, including the Shared Assessments Program, focused on third party risk management.

Catherine currently serves as a board member of Synovus Financial Corporation, El Paso Electric Company, and Analytics Pros, and is a member of the Risk, Energy and Natural Resources, External Affairs and Nominating and Governance Committees. She chairs the Security Committee for El Paso Electric. She formerly sat on the Advisory Board of Houlihan Lokey. She served as a former board member and Chair of the Technology Committee for Stewart Information Services. She is Co-Chair of the University of Missouri’s Capital Campaign and sits on the Research and Development Committee. She is also on the advisory board of Women Corporate Directors and the Executive Women’s Forum. Catherine is the former Chair of the Board of Trustees and member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and currently chairs Appleseed New Mexico. She is also a member of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, International Folk Art Alliance, Lensic Center for Performing Arts, Communities for Schools in New Mexico and the Mark Twain Research Foundation boards. She is formerly a trustee of the Valles Caldera.

In 2007, Catherine stepped down from her role as the founding CEO of the financial services industry consortium, BITS, after a decade of service, to continue her work with The Santa Fe Group and pursue her passion as a corporate board member. During her tenure, Catherine worked closely with CEOs, CIOs, and executives at the nation’s largest financial institutions on strategic issues, from payments strategies to risk management. BITS’ accomplishments under Catherine’s leadership include creating best practices in more than 30 areas of financial services management.

Earlier in her career, Catherine served in several senior executive positions at Citicorp in the retail, bankcards, and corporate technology divisions. She represented Citibank as founding Chair and President of the multi-industry Smart Card Forum. Prior to joining Citibank, Catherine was director of corporate planning for Dun and Bradstreet, where she created and chaired the Electronic Yellow Pages and Information Association. Catherine was also a consultant to CBS, Inc. on new technologies and international trade while she was a professor at American University’s Kogod College of Business Administration.

Catherine is active politically in national and local spheres, including being a former member of President Barack Obama’s Economic Development and Small Business Committees and the New Mexico State Investment Council.

Catherine was recently honored by US Banker Magazine with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contributions to financial services and technology. In 2013, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to technology by the Executive Women’s Forum. She is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Missouri, recognizing her professional achievements in financial services and technology.

Catherine is married to Paul Rooker and they live between Santa Fe, NM and Cape Cod, MA.

I am a native of the Cleveland, Ohio area, but have lived in New Mexico for 22 years now and am quite confident that I will always consider Santa Fe to be my hometown. I was educated at Princeton University (class of 1988) and then went on to receive a Master’s degree in Social Service Administration from Case Western Reserve with a clinical focus. I worked for over a decade as a medical social worker/therapist. I moved up to Santa Fe from Albuquerque in 2000. In short order, I met and married my husband, Edward, and had my two children. Our youngest has been medically and educationally complicated, and my past 15 years has been spent in large part in the service of my family. Service to the Santa Fe community is what makes my heart sing. I serve as a Trustee for the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and as the Vice Chair of Board of Trustees for the Center for Contemporary Arts. I am the class representative for my daughter’s class at Santa Fe Prep. Mentoring women in recovery from addiction have been a true spot of joy in my life for many years, and I devote 8-10 hours per week to this cause.

Jim Garcia is a native New Mexican and has an extensive career in the hospitality industry. Before becoming the Vice President for the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, he was involved in several unique clients through his consulting company HospiTotally. The company originated and operated the Destination Management services for the Hyatt Tamaya resort and spa. B2D Marketing in Seattle was a signature client providing advanced dental training services. Jim helped them relocate the company to Boston Massachusetts where the company is now expanded into International services.

As Director of Operations for El Pinto Foods, he helped to scale the company and developed the grocery business that features one of the top selling lines in New Mexico. The restaurant enjoyed several incredible moments like serving twice as the Official menu for the Cinco de Mayo celebration in the White house. He also was honored to be the last new Mexican to fly an F-16 with the New Mexico Tacos.

The foundation of his hospitality and restaurant background was forged in his eight years with Bennigan’s and seven years with The Olive Garden restaurants. Jim has served on several Boards including the National Board of The American Diabetes Association, Board of Advisors for CNM culinary arts, New Mexico Restaurant Association and his favorite The Board of Directors of The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Jim has a passion for the service industry and has created many cooperative relationships.

A love for fashion and textiles led Gurmeet from New Delhi to New York to study Fashion at Fashion Institute of Technology, NY. She subsequently channeled that passion with work experience at ABC Carpet & Home which introduced her to the world of craft story-telling and brand-building at a high level of aesthetics. From that niche experience to managing multi-million dollar budget brand development and marketing for legacy designers such as Designer Guild, Charisma, Betsey Johnson at WestPoint Home, followed by a deep dive in the world of entertainment marketing at a global level at HBO and others, has solidified her expertise of combining textiles and craft retailing with immersive story-telling, building highly engaged global audiences and communities.

Currently she serves as Chief Marketing Strategist for Serendipity Studio, a NY based boutique agency that undertakes strategic advisory, creative & content strategy, digital marketing & e-commerce with focus on brand development for a multitude of Art, Lifestyle & Interior Design brands with a global presence and a marquee clientele. Her expertise involves developing cultural festival concepts, recruiting artists, writers, historians or art galleries for participation to developing financial and marketing road maps for these festivals, to maximizing revenue and press coverage opportunities.

Gurmeet has a Bachelors degree in Economics from Delhi University and has served on the FIT Home Products Division Advisory Board Committee.

Brenda is a native New Mexican with family roots in Taos and Santa Fe. She comes from a long line of small business owners who have operated various businesses across the state. Brenda and her husband, Brian, founded, own and operate FacilityBUILD, Keers Environmental, and Special Waste Disposal. Brenda is passionate about supporting the community and started “CommunityCARE,” which is an outreach program of FacilityBUILD that helps non-profit programs in-need, by donating critical facility construction improvements. She also owns her own interior design company specializing in staging and renovations. Brenda has worked closely with artists in booth design and training at the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe and the International Folk Art Market | Collection at the Dallas Market Center the past three summers. Her passion involves not only the art itself, but also encouraging folk art artists to reach for what they want. Brenda is most enthusiastic about building confidence in IFAA artists and equipping them with the skills to succeed. Brenda and her husband reside in Corrales, New Mexico with their three dogs, 10 chickens, and small vineyard.

Linda, a native born Texan, earned Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Methodist University. Her academic research has centered on the cultural and archaeological record of lowland Maya in Yucatan and Central America. Linda has previously served on the boards of the Dallas Symphony Association, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, American Film Institute in Dallas, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum board, the Council for the Arts at MIT, and the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe.

Liz Rees is a recent transplant to Santa Fe; although she has spent a lot of time here over the past 25 years. A native New Yorker, Liz most recently ran upscale holiday markets and gourmet food festivals in New York City parks and public spaces for 10 years, including the highly popular Union Square Holiday Market. A graduate of New York University, Liz serves on the U.S. Board of Amref Health Africa, the largest African-based nonprofit that delivers health services to over 30 countries there. Closer to home, Liz is a member of the Board of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, as well as the Hestia Santa Fe women’s giving circle which supports programs that help and encourage middle-school kids to stay in school.

Greta Schettler is currently launching a new social enterprise focused on expanding domestic youth education and connectivity to global arts, music and culture through an interactive platform. The platform will ultimately provide both engaging content as well as economic opportunities for artists around the world. In addition, she also serves as a consultant on gender equality and economic growth, with a focus on designing and scaling efforts to advance poverty reduction, women’s economic participation and entrepreneurship through development, trade, and business.

Prior to launching the recent venture, Greta served as the COO of WEConnect International, a corporate-led non-profit that convenes more than 80 global members, including multilateral organizations and Fortune 500 companies committed to sourcing from women-owned businesses.

Before joining WEConnect, Greta served as Senior Economic Policy Advisor in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues for the U.S. Department of State. There, she was responsible for globally elevating women’s economic participation as a U.S. foreign policy priority. Her leadership was key to the strategic development and expansion of over 30 major initiatives such as APEC Women and the Economy, the Equal Futures Partnership, and the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise. Her track record and dedication to sustainability resulted in groundbreaking efforts on women’s economic participation in the G20, the G-7, and the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Before joining the U.S. Department of State, Greta worked across a variety of industries as a consultant in the United States, South America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Michael has been an avid collector of folk art, along with his wife, Laurie, since their college days over fifty years ago. One of the primary reasons they moved to Santa Fe was the International Folk Art Market. He was an artist assistant for several years, but wanted to become more actively involved in the Market. He and Laurie have been co-chairs of the Market Signs Committee for five years. He was also volunteer co-coordinator for the International Folk Art Market | Collection at the Dallas Market Center from 2012-2014. He was a member of the Planning Committee for the FUZE Conference with the Department of Cultural Affairs in 2014. Michael’s love of classical music has led him to become a volunteer usher for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. When he is not volunteering for IFAA/Santa Fe, Michael is an avid artisan sourdough bread baker and cook.

Benita is a librarian/information management professional with 37 years of experience in academic and international organizations. Upon retirement in 2005 from her 15-year career at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C., she moved to Santa Fe and began working as a volunteer with Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Council on International Relations, and the International Folk Art Alliance. She quickly was “promoted” to become Co-Chair of the Artist Hospitality Committee for the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe and has served in that capacity from 2006 – 2016. She has also served as an at-large Regional Coordinator for the Market, gaining in-depth knowledge of the artists, their art, and their aspirations. She has previously served as Board President of Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe and of the CAPCON Library Network in Washington, D.C. Benita holds a M.S. in Library Science from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, and a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Ex-Officio Members

Jamie Clements became President/CEO of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation in July 2013 after a 26-year career as a national fundraising professional with NPO Direct Marketing, an award-winning agency he founded in 1987. Jamie has consulted for more than 250 nonprofit organizations around the country, including 100 museums. Prior to NPO, he was Vice President for a national arts and culture marketing agency in Texas and Membership Manager for the San Francisco Symphony. Jamie has been a lifelong visitor to New Mexico, was married in Santa Fe in 1983 and a resident from 2006 to 2009. He and his wife Diana have five daughters. Jamie is a graduate of Princeton University.

Debra Garcia y Griego is the Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. In this capacity, she brings more than 20 years of cultural public policy experience to the stewardship of eight museums, nine historic sites and properties, arts, historic preservation, archaeology and library programs. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission where she was responsible for implementing the City’s support of arts and cultural affairs such as funding of local nonprofit arts organizations, operation of the Community Gallery, the Art in Public Places program and the City’s international affairs. Previous work experience includes Museum Campus Chicago (a multi-institutional cross-collaboration and –marketing initiative consisting of the John G. Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History and the Chicago Park District), Chicago a cappella, the Southwest Theater and Dance Festival, and the University of New Mexico Department of Theater and Dance. Garcia y Griego serves as an at-large member of the Board of Directors for Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. She holds a Master of Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History from the University of New Mexico.

Khristaan D. Villela is the Director of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM. He has a PhD in art history from University of Texas at Austin. Before his appointment at the museum in August 2016, he was Professor of Art History and Scholar in Residence at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. He specializes in the history of Pre-Columbian and Latin American art, and on the reception of ancient American culture in the modern world. He has curated exhibitions at the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, the Miho Museum, Kyoto, Japan, and the New Mexico History Museum. Most recently he was consulting curator for Miguel Covarrubias: Drawing a Cosmopolitan Line, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (2014). Prior to his appointment at SFUAD, Villela was the founding director of the Thaw Art History Center at the College of Santa Fe, a teaching a research until with faculty, library, and collections devoted to the arts of the Americas, ancient to contemporary. He writes frequently for publications including New Mexico Magazine, El Palacio, ARTNews, Adobe Airstream, and he has a column in the Santa Fe New Mexican Pasatiempo section. He is the author of Ancient Civilizations of the Americas: Man, Nature, and Spirit in Pre-Columbian Art (Miho Museum, 2011); The Aztec Calendar Stone (with Mary Miller, Getty Publications, 2010); and Contemporary Mexican Architecture and Design (with Ellen Bradbury Reid and Logan Wagner, Gibbs Smith Publications, 2002). He is working on a book on the contributions of the Mexican artist, collector and curator Miguel Covarrubias to Pre-Columbian studies in US and Mexico in the mid-twentieth century. Another book project is the first publication of an album of 1860s photographs, the Souvenir of New Mexico, assembled by a US Army officer in New Mexico Territory. The album includes what may be the first photos of the Navajo, as well as important images of the Navajo captivity at Fort Sumner, NM.

Advisory Board Members

Mark is the owner and CEO of Peyote Bird Designs, a 40 year-old jewelry design and manufacturing company headquartered in Santa Fe, with an office in Hong Kong, China. He is involved in all aspects of the business and frequently travels the world on research and development. Mark recently completed a six-year term on the Board of Trustees at Santa Fe Preparatory School, where his children attended private school. He is currently on the Board of Trustees for the United World College in Montezuma, NM. Married to Martha, their daughter Amanda is in college at the University of Denver, and their son Jackson is attending Colorado University in Boulder, CO. Mark is also an avid collector of American Indian, American folk art, and American kitsch artwork.

Charmay serves on the New Mexico State Arts Commission, boards of the Lensic Performing Arts Center, and the Institute of American Indian Arts Foundation. She is an active volunteer with numerous community organizations including Cornerstones Community Partnerships, Spanish Colonial Arts Society, the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe Symphony, the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance among others. She is a co-founder of the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe and serves as an advisory trustee of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. She and Forrest Fenn created One Horse Land and Cattle Company Publishing to publish Fenn’s memories, archives, and archaeological work. Formerly, she was an English and journalism teacher as well as a medical editor and a commercial interior designer. She was recently honored for her years of voluntarism in the arts. Charmay conducted her undergraduate studies at La Sierra University and postgraduate work at the University of Redlands.

JoAnn Lynn Balzer, Santa Fe community leader and arts advocate, has had an extensive career in the arts, fundraising and non-profit management, holding many leadership positions with Santa Fe non-profits. She has long been a passionate collector and supporter of the contemporary expressions of Native American art and international folk art and is dedicated to their promotions.

Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010, JoAnn currently serves as a Trustee of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). She also serves as a New Mexico Arts Commissioner, appointed by Governor Bill Richardson in 2009, and on the Advisory Board of the International Folk Art Market.

She is Co-Chair of the Lensic Community Council, and a former Trustee of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, where she co-founded Friends of Indian Art at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. She is a former board member of the Southwest Museum and the Autry National Center in Los Angeles.

JoAnn is a recipient of the Santa Fe Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts and served as Chair of the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission’s Cultural Affairs Working Group to help create the City’s first-ever cultural plan.

In concert with their interest in transformative philanthropy, she and her husband Bob sponsored the inaugural Indian Market EDGE to help SWAIA launch its new contemporary component. They also sponsored the Creative Maker Space at Meow Wolf and are the Founding Sponsors of the Innovation/Inspiration component of Santa Fe’s International Folk Art Market. They sponsor the Balzer Museum Purchase Prize, where the Museum of International Folk Art can annually acquire objects for its collection at the Folk Art Market.

Before concentrating on the non-profit sector, JoAnn worked in advanced technology at IBM. She also taught college-level mathematics at Pepperdine University and Pennsylvania State University. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Westminster College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. She holds a Masters of Science in Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University and an Honorary Doctorate in the Sciences from Westminster College in Pennsylvania.

Charlene is a co-founder of the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe and served as its Executive Director from 2007-2012 and in 2018 served as its Interim Director for three months. As co-founder, she assisted in assembling the first governing board of 23 persons and helped the organization receive its 501(c) 3 status in 2007. She also participated on the Artist Selection Committee in 2006 and 2007. She was Executive Director when the organization was selected as 2009 winner of the Piñon Award for non-profit excellence by the Santa Fe Community Foundation and was invited in 2009 to become a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. Charlene served as Director of the Museum of International Folk Art for fifteen years until her retirement in 1999, when she was named Director Emeritus. She served as MOIFA’s Interim Director from 2015-16.. As the Museum’s Curator of Latin American Folk Art from 1973-1984, she organized exhibitions, conducted fieldwork, and oversaw the Museum’s Latin American collection. She was Director of Advancement at Santa Fe Preparatory School for eight years overseeing two major capital campaigns and all major fundraising and marketing efforts. Charlene is a recipient of the Mayor’s Recognition Award for Excellence in the Arts and the Museum of New Mexico Regents Award.

A native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Cynthia is currently the Director of Advancement of the National Dance Institute of New Mexico where she is responsible for statewide donor cultivation and stewardship, public relations, social media, and advertising. Before her current position, Director of Marketing at the Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau, where she was responsible for public relations, social media, Santa Fe Travel Planner, Santafe.org, and advertising. Before that she was the President of Pinnacle Consulting, a marketing consulting company. Pinnacle Consulting provides public relations, marketing strategies, community outreach, presentation development, and marketing research for nonprofit and for-profit companies. Cynthia worked with AT&T and PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP for over 20 years in the areas of business development, marketing, sales, and management. She received her B.A. from New Mexico State University, M.B.A. from the College of Santa Fe, and a Masters of Counseling at Southwestern College. She is a past Board member of Presbyterian Health Service and currently sits on the International Fork Art Alliance Advisory Board. Cynthia enjoys skiing, scuba diving, cooking, traveling, life coaching, and gardening.

Nella Domenici joined Bridgewater in 2012 and now serves as the firm’s Chief Financial Officer and Advisor to the Management Committee. She is responsible for overseeing management of the Finance department and driving strategic enterprise-wide projects. Before joining Bridgewater, Nella was a member of the Management Committee, Chief-of-Staff, and Strategist for the Citadel Group. She played a similar role at Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), serving as Chief-of-Staff and Strategist for global investment banking. While at CSFB, she also headed their top-ranked Middle-market Mergers and Acquisition Group. Nella graduated from Harvard Business School with High Distinction and as a George F. Baker Scholar. She holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

Sheila holds a B.A. in religious studies from California State University, Fullerton. She taught high school history and English for over a decade in East Los Angeles, eventually becoming chair of the history department at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. There she introduced a curriculum on the teaching of Holocaust history that has now become standard. For the past several years, Sheila has served as volunteer chair of the Best of the Best booth at the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe. She is a past chair and serving member of MOIFA’s Folk Art Committee, as well as sitting on the collections committee for the National Hispanic Cultural Center. A full-time resident of Santa Fe since 1999, Sheila is the owner of Samarkand, an ethnographic store specializing in jewelry and textiles from Central Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

As co-founder, Judith has been instrumental in creating the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe and has provided leadership since 2004. She has a BA in Clothing and Textiles and in Art History, as well as two years of graduate work in Philosophy of Design. Judith served in the Peace Corps in Peru. She was previously the fashion director of Gimbels East NYC, Fashion Director of Menswear for all Gimbels stores, Director of Fashion Information for Butterick Fashion, Editor in Chief of Vogue Patterns International, Director of Evan Picone Design Studio, and VIP Design Director of Murjani International. Judith formerly served on the board of Aid to Artisans, was Project Advisor-Ceramics for USAID sponsored research on “Marketing Viability of Hungarian Craft Industries,” and one of three Project Directors for the first two years of UNESCO-sponsored “Lead-Free Low Fire Pottery Project” in Mexico. Judith was previously the owner of The Clay Angel in Santa Fe, supporting her life-long interest and study of the world traditional ceramics.

Alexis is the President and CEO of Greer Enterprises, Inc., which is a closely held family corporation dealing primarily in real estate. Alexis and her husband received three historic preservation awards for the restoration of the Lensic Performing Arts Center. She serves as Chair of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, on the Board of Directors of First National Bank of Santa Fe, and is an Advisory Board Member of the Lensic Performing Arts Corporation. She has also served on the Santa Fe Preparatory School Board and was president of The Children’s School – a parent’s preschool cooperative. She is the Co-Chair of the New Mexico Historic Women’s Marker Initiative and has served as Treasurer for the New Mexico Women’s Forum. A graduate of Mills College with a Bachelor of Arts, Alexis has assisted in the assemblage of two shows for the Girard Foundation at the Governor’s Gallery at the Roundhouse for the State of New Mexico, and “Fantasy and Enchantment,” a show preceding the gifting of the Girard Collection to the Museum of International Folk Art.

Nance was born in Kansas City. Since childhood, she has been curious about cultural diversity. In high school, she was an exchange student to Syria, and later on spent a year studying art in Granada, Spain. Following her B.S. degree in anthropology from Stanford University, she worked in India with the Peace Corps. In 1969, Nance settled in Santa Fe where she opened Good Hands, which continues today in partnership with her husband and best friend, Ramon José López and their four children, Leon, Lilly, Bo, and Miller. For the past 10 years, Nance has focused her enthusiastic attention on her garden, her NIA practice, hiking in the mountains, and getting together with family and friends. She is an avid supporter of the International Folk Art Alliance, Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, Institute of Spanish Arts, and Fine Art for Children and Teens. She has retired from her career as an artist, but still likes to create beautiful pieces.

Joni Parman is a retired business coach and consultant. Ms. Parman has a unique blend of multi-functional experiences from the corporate, small business, government, and non-profit environments. In her small business experiences, she was Chief Operating Officer of The Brill Family of Companies (including The Uptime Institute, Computersite Engineering, and Upsite Technologies), Executive Vice President of Operations for LizardTech (a software company in Seattle), the COO in the turn-around of an international project management training and consulting company, and President of a successful Santa Fe gallery. During the 1980’s, she worked for Kraft, Incorporated, directing strategic plans and projects in several business groups including Corporate Planning, R&D Europe, US Operations, and one of two multi-billion dollar marketing divisions. She served as State Chief of Staff for US Senator Bingaman, restructuring staff roles and initiatives to align with the Senator’s key programs, and supporting him through a successful reelection campaign. In her twenties, she was the Executive Director of a $1 million + non-profit in Chicago which coordinated and funded children’s camping programs for social service agencies throughout the region.

Ms. Parman grew up in New Mexico, earned her MBA in finance from University of Illinois and her BA from Antioch College.

Michael has served as President of St. John’s College since January 2005. Prior to coming to St. John’s, Michael was the Executive Vice President of the Council on Foreign Relations. He joined the Council in 1995 as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. During his tenure he was responsible for managing the Council’s daily operations, overseeing the development of its National Program, and for a time managing its research arm as Director of Studies. Michael had a distinguished career of over 27 years in the U.S. Army. He was a platoon leader in Vietnam, an assistant professor of economics at West Point, a Soviet military specialist, an executive assistant in the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a battalion commander in the Army Special Operations Command. He concluded his military career as the Chief of Staff at the United States Military Academy. Michael earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy and a Master of Arts in economics from the University of Washington.

Rick is currently retired. He enjoyed a long and successful career with the law firm of McCall, Parkhurst & Horton L.L.P. in Dallas, Texas, including serving as Managing Partner and Senior Partner. For many years he represented major public institutions in Texas in connection with financing and security law issues and was responsible for drafting many of the laws governing public finance in the State of Texas. He has previously served on various governing boards and is currently involved in several volunteer activities, including ministries at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas. Rick is a graduate of Texas Christian University (B.B.A. 1967) and The University of Texas School of Law (J.D. 1972). Prior to attending law school, he served in the U.S. Navy, receiving an honorable discharge with the rank of Lieutenant (jg). Rick and his wife, Sandra, live in Dallas, but spend as much time as possible at their home in Santa Fe. Their Santa Fe home is overflowing with many purchases from the International Folk Art Market Santa Fe and other folk art venues. The Porters have four children and seven grandchildren.

Carol is currently serving as the Executive Director of the New Mexico Children’s Foundation. Carol was Mayor Pro Tempore and City Councilor of Santa Fe from 1998-2006. She was President of the New Mexico Municipal League and Chair of the International Council for the National League of Cities (NLC) and worked with Sister Cities International (SCI) to strengthen a strong alliance between SCI and NLC. Carol is on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Sister Cities International. She was also appointed to Board Emeritus for New Mexico First, a public policy forum committed to solving New Mexico’s problems and served as both Chair and Vice Chair for the New Mexico Student Loan Guarantee Board. She serves on the Local Advisory Board of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Carol served a long career in various administrative positions in state government including: the New Mexico Department of Transportation, Attorney General’s Office, State Personnel Office, and State Planning Division. She received the 2004 Governor’s Award for Outstanding New Mexico Women and is the President of the International Women’s Forum – New Mexico. She holds a M.A. in Educational Management and Development from New Mexico State University (NMSU) and a B.S. in Secondary Education from Edinboro University. She has a Ph.D. in process in Higher Educational Management and Development from NMSU. Carol also chairs the Santa Fe-Bukhara Sister Cities Committee and is Chair of the City of Santa Fe’s Sister Cities Committee. Carol is President of American Women for International Understanding – whose signature event is the International Women of Courage Celebration with the U.S. State Department.

Peter Speliopoulos, the founder of Peter Speliopoulos Projects, is a multidisciplinary artist creating ceramics, and home objects. His foundation as a fashion designer, creative director and designer of costumes for opera and modern ballet have influenced his work. He was most recently the Senior Vice President of Design and Creative Director of Donna Karan New York, and former Creative Director of Cerruti Arte, Paris, and has designed for leading international fashion houses in France, Italy, and New York, for over 30 years. Peter has also designed costumes for numerous internationally performed operas and ballets in collaboration with choreographer/director Karole Armitage. He is a native of Springfield, Massachusetts and received his B.F.A. from the Parsons School of Design in 1982. He is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and serves on the board of Armitage Gone! Dance! Peter noted from having attended the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe over several years now, “Folk art and the artisan hand, indigenous arts— these have always inspired my work in fashion and costume. From indigo to weaving and embroidery, to ceramics and metal works, I have discovered so much of the world’s beauty and variety at the Market!”

Edd currently serves on the Board of the International Folk Art Alliance (Chairman, 2006-2008; and Executive Committee 2006-2010 and 2012-16) and on the Advisory Board of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. He previously served on the Boards of the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian (Vice President, 2005-2007 and 2010), the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles (Vice President and member of the Executive Committee), and the Los Angeles SPCA (President). Edd is a graduate of the University of Texas and the University of Houston Bates School of Law, and is currently an inactive member of the Texas and California Bars. Following a clerkship on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Edd joined the law firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher in Los Angeles in 1970, where he specialized in antitrust law. He retired from the firm in 2001. Edd and his wife Carole enjoy international travel and divide their time between their homes in Santa Fe and Los Angeles.

Alexander has spent a career in retail, and is experienced in all aspects of small business, including importing, marketing strategies, advertising, and administration. He is the owner of Foreign Traders, Inc., a family business formerly known as “The Old Mexico Shop.” His collection includes works by noted folk artists Candelario Medrano, Heron Martinez, Gorky Gonzalez, Josefina Aguilar, and others from around the world. Alexander imports handicrafts and folk art from such countries as Peru, Guatemala, Morocco, India, Pakistan, and Mexico. He also has a small retail folk art venue at the Traveler’s Market in Santa Fe where he represents the work of Gorky Gonzalez and other recognizable folk artists. Alexander has served as a member of the Santa Fe Opera Business Council, the Crime Stoppers Board, and most recently on the Board of Directors of Dynamac International Corp. in Rockville, Maryland. In 2007 he accompanied his mother, Diana MacArthur, to the northern area of Pakistan and is now working to build the Al-Murtaza Academy in the Hunza Valley, in memory of his sister Elizabeth. Born in Santa Fe, Alexander grew up in the Washington D.C. area and graduated from Boston University in 1979 with a B.S. in print journalism from the B.U. School of Public Communication.

Owen is the President of the investment-banking firm, Dirks, Van Essen & Murray, specializing in merger and acquisition, divestitures, and strategic advisory services to U.S. newspaper publishing companies. He was the General Manager/Business Manager, as well as 25 percent owner of the Worthington (MN) Daily Globe prior to the sale of the paper in 1986. A Minnesota native, Owen received a B.A. in business administration from Dordt College and has done advanced work in business and journalism at the University of Minnesota. He serves as Trustee of Thornburg Mutual Funds. Owen also served on the Board at Santa Fe Preparatory School. He has served on the St. Michael’s High School Foundation Board, was President of the Worthington Area United Way, and President of the Worthington YMCA Board of Directors.

Founders

Tom is the former Executive Director of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation (MNMF) and a co-founder of the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe, for which he received a Mayor’s Arts Award. He led the development of New Mexico Creates, an award-winning economic development initiative that markets the work of New Mexico artists and artisans in the MNMF’s shops and on their Internet shops. Tom was recognized as one of New Mexico Business Weekly’s “Ten Power People in the Arts” in New Mexico for 2005 and “Top 100 Power People in New Mexico” in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, the United Way, Santa Fe selected him as “Humanitarian of the Year.” Tom advises the UNESCO Division of Cultural Expressions and Creative Industries, created the Santa Fe Cultural Leaders group, and led the economic development planning for Santa Fe’s arts and cultural industries in 2003-2004. He chaired the formation of Creative Santa Fe from 2004-2006, a non-profit organization that brings together diverse constituencies to strengthen Santa Fe’s creative economy. He was Director of Aid to Artisans where he helped to develop artisan enterprises internationally. Tom also created the successful Maritime Art Gallery at Mystic Seaport Museum and has been involved with marketing and merchandising for museum shops. Tom earned his M.B.A. from Columbia University, a B.F.T. from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management, and an A.B. from Marquette University.

Charmay serves on the New Mexico State Arts Commission, boards of the Lensic Performing Arts Center, and the Institute of American Indian Arts Foundation. She is an active volunteer with numerous community organizations including Cornerstones Community Partnerships, Spanish Colonial Arts Society, the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe Symphony, the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance among others. She is a co-founder of the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe and serves as an advisory trustee of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. She and Forrest Fenn created One Horse Land and Cattle Company Publishing to publish Fenn’s memories, archives, and archaeological work. Formerly, she was an English and journalism teacher as well as a medical editor and a commercial interior designer. She was recently honored for her years of voluntarism in the arts. Charmay conducted her undergraduate studies at La Sierra University and postgraduate work at the University of Redlands.

Charlene is a co-founder of the International Folk Art Market and served as its Executive Director from 2007-2012, and in 2018 served as its Interim Director for three months. As co-founder, she assisted in assembling the first governing board of 23 persons and helped the organization receive its 501(c) 3 status in 2007. She also participated on the Artist Selection Committee in 2006 and 2007. She was Executive Director when the organization was selected as 2009 winner of the Piñon Award for non-profit excellence by the Santa Fe Community Foundation and was invited in 2009 to become a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. Charlene served as Director of the Museum of International Folk Art for fifteen years until her retirement in 1999; she is currently its Emeritus Director. As the Museum’s Curator of Latin American Folk Art from 1973-1984, she organized exhibitions, conducted fieldwork, and oversaw the Museum’s Latin American collection. She was Director of Advancement at Santa Fe Preparatory School for eight years overseeing two major capital campaigns and all major fundraising and marketing efforts. Charlene is a recipient of the Mayor’s Recognition Award for Excellence in the Arts and the Museum of New Mexico Regents Award.

As co-founder, Judith has been instrumental in creating the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe and has provided leadership since 2004. She has a BA in Clothing and Textiles and in Art History, as well as two years of graduate work in Philosophy of Design. Judith served in the Peace Corps in Peru. She was previously the fashion director of Gimbels East NYC, Fashion Director of Menswear for all Gimbels stores, Director of Fashion Information for Butterick Fashion, Editor in Chief of Vogue Patterns International, Director of Evan Picone Design Studio, and VIP Design Director of Murjani International. Judith formerly served on the board of Aid to Artisans, was Project Advisor-Ceramics for USAID sponsored research on “Marketing Viability of Hungarian Craft Industries,” and one of three Project Directors for the first two years of UNESCO-sponsored “Lead-Free Low Fire Pottery Project” in Mexico. Judith was previously the owner of The Clay Angel in Santa Fe, supporting her life-long interest and study of the world traditional ceramics.

Staff

Stuart Ashman, is a cultural ambassador who has worked in the arts for over 30 years. He was raised in Matanzas and Havana, Cuba before his family relocated to New York where he attended the City University of New York receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography and Fine Art. His additional studies include graduate work at the Rochester Institute of Technology and personal interactions on his photography with Minor White and Paul Caponigro. He was also selected to participate in the Getty’s Museum Leadership Institute.

He served as Executive Director & Chief Curator of the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His previous experience includes postings as President and CEO of the Museum of Latin American Art; Director of the New Mexico Museum of Art; Executive Director of the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art; and an appointment by the Governor as Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. He also served as Expert Consultant for the United States Peace Corps, and serves as Vice-Chair of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. He has published numerous articles and exhibition catalogues and co-authored “Photography New Mexico” in 2009,“Abstract Art” in 2003 and “Harlistas Cubanos” in 2006.

Susan moved to Santa Fe in 2016 from Orange County, CA and joined the IFAM team in February 2018. In California, she spent 20 years in consumer and commercial banking and worked as a controller for a small service company for several years. Prior to the “big move”, she enjoyed eight years as the Business Operations Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tustin. Susan loves to travel and plays French horn in several community ensembles.

Nancy Deutsch is the Director of Advancement for the International Folk Art Market. She oversees the fundraising program for individuals, family foundations, government grants and corporate sponsorships. In addition, she manages a team supporting advocacy efforts with the State of New Mexico and IFAM’s Passport to Folk Art Travel Program.

Prior to joining IFAM, she was the Senior Vice President for Advancement at the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) in New York. In her role, Deutsch was charged with expanding a global community of individual donors to ensure sustainability of the organization beyond the original horizon of 2021.

Prior to INET, Deutsch was the Vice President for Advancement at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI) in Santa Fe. In that role, she oversaw both individual and family foundation fundraising and managed the corporate partner’s program. Under her leadership, individual giving increased significantly and she successfully led the Institute’s 30th Anniversary Campaign that exceeded goal in record time. In addition, she closed transformational gifts leading to a second academic campus, the first staff endowed chair and the first significant bequest for the Institute.

Her career has been built upon a successful track record in fundraising at institutions such as UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and UC Irvine along with public broadcasting in Washington D.C. and Dallas. A hallmark of her approach is the ability to engage prospective donors in nuanced strategies to connect their own intellectual curiosity to the opportunities and priorities of the organization. For INET she will build upon the existing fundraising program to increase organizational sustainability and the donor pipeline.

Deutsch is a member of numerous professional organizations and is active in the Santa Fe community where she has maintained a home since 1983. She relishes the beautiful City Different sunsets at home with her husband, Ron, and their four dogs, Samantha, Dak, Sophie, and Mekah.

Gabe Gomez brings more than 15 years of experience in marketing and public relations to IFAA; much of that time has been spent with various arts organizations. He has recently served as an Arts Commissioner for the City of Santa Fe. As an educator, Gabe has taught English and creative writing at the University of New Orleans, Tulane University, the College of Santa Fe, and the Institute of American Indian Arts. Gabe holds a BA in creative writing from the College of Santa Fe and an MFA in creative writing from Saint Mary’s College of California. His articles and essays have been published widely and his first collection of poems The Outer Bands won the Andres Montoya Poetry Prize from the University of Notre Dame Press in 2006. His latest poetry collection, The Seed Bank, was published by Mouthfeel Press in 2012. He is a proud father and enjoys cooking, fishing, and live music.

After volunteering for IFAA for several years as a Spanish interpreter, Connie joined the team in April 2016. She received an undergraduate degree in Spanish and International Relations from the University of Redlands and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University | School of International and Public Affairs with an emphasis on economic and political development. As part of the IFAA Advancement team, she will focus on event planning, direct mail, online fundraising, business sponsorships, grants, prospect research, and other initiatives. Prior to IFAA, she worked at the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Pro Mujer, the Immigration Center for Women and Children and the International Community Foundation. She is thrilled to contribute to IFAA’s mission, and is excited to blend her passion of international development and the arts at IFAA.

As Executive Assistant for IFAA, Kathy manages aspects of daily office operations. Kathy holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Over the course of her career, she has worked in a variety of high-level administrative roles in the higher education and non-profit sectors.

Pattie joined IFAM in October 2015 and brings 28+ years of experience in accounting, budgeting, strategic planning and business management in both the non-profit and private sectors. She values being part of the collaborative and professional IFAM team and working alongside the dedicated board directors and volunteers. She enjoys being able to make meaningful contributions in creating economic opportunities for and with folk artists worldwide and IFAA’s markets offer a special opportunity for her to interact with the artists directly. She likes cloud watching, weekend road trips, and using the power of numbers to inform pro-active decision making.

Sachiko is the Director of Artist Relations, responsible for the artist application, selection, and placement processes, as well as communications, planning, and services directly related to artists participating in IFAM | Santa Fe. In her previous position as Market Office Administrator, she supported staff, board members, volunteers, and oversaw shipping and receiving. Sachiko has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of New Mexico, with an Art History minor. She has been Director of Special Projects and Graphic Design at New Mexico Junior College, as well as a graphic designer at the Hobbs Daily News-Sun. Most of her administrative experience comes from the Education sector where she has been Registrar at Santa Fe Preparatory School and Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Administration at Santa Fe Community College. A native New Mexican, Sachiko is a third generation Japanese American. Her art background includes graphic design, stone sculpture, drawing, and painting.

Ginger joined the team in 2014 and has the privilege of organizing the logistical components of the Market. She holds a degree from UMASS Amherst in Sport Management and has worked with every type of event possible including environmental conferences, retreats, weddings, and the Sydney Olympics. Her passion for events comes from recognizing that bringing people together facilitates making real change. Similar to her past time of quilting, piecing together scraps can create a beautiful and organized mess. A native of the east coast, she has made Santa Fe her forever home for herself and her family.

Sandra comes to IFAM from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, where she was the Event Coordinator. Her role included management of 1,100 volunteers; oversight of all event entertainment including a stand-alone concert with attendance of over 25,000; banquets, parties and receptions for more than 3,000 volunteers, crew members and pilots; management of a 650-seat exclusive dining area; youth outreach and education; and event guest support services such as information booths and greeters. Prior to that, Sandra worked for the City of Albuquerque Special Events division, producing city-sponsored festivals and events such as Freedom 4th, Summerfest events, Old Town celebrations and special events permitting. A native of Albuquerque, Sandra has also lived in Santa Fe, New York, Texas, Utah and England. Sandra’s career path spans over 35 years in the culinary, hospitality, tourism and event industries. Sandra brings her varied background experiences to IFAM and the IFAM volunteers. “I love creating experiences for people. Festivals and events allow me to do that on a large scale. Supporting event volunteers lets me host an even richer experience. Event volunteers are very special in that they’re willing to show up and put on a happy face, despite how chaotic large events can be. I am in awe and respect of their enthusiasm and resilience.”

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